Leroy gives 29 synonyms for this variety. Listed by Ragan as 'Brown'. Must not be confused with 'Beurre Gris d'Hiver Nouveau' or with 'Beurre Gris d'Ete' which are distinct varieties. A very old pear, the origin of which is lost in antiquity. Mentioned by Olivier de Serres in 1651 and by C. Millet in 1652. Listed by Rea as being grown in England in 1655 under the name of 'Boeure de Roy'. Fruit medium in size, roundish or bergamot in form. Skin greenish-yellow, sometimes blushed, occasionally russeted, fairly attractive. Flesh fine, melting, juicy. Acidulous, vinous flavor, high in dessert quality except for grit at the center. Tree resembles that of Beurre Hardy in form and foliage chacteristics. Quite susceptible to fire blight. -- H. Hartman, Oregon Ag. Experiment Station, 1957.Brown. Origin France. Very highly esteemed, especially in France. Synonyms: Amboise, Ambroise, l'Amboise, Badham's, Beurre Brown, Beurre Butter, Beurre d'Ambleuse, Beurre d'Amboise, Beurre de Caen, Beurre d'Isambert, Beurre d'Or, Beurre de Treveuren, Beurre Doie (of the French), Beurre Doree, Beurre du Roi, Beurre Gris, Beurre Gris d'Automne, Beurre Isambert, Beurre of Duh, Beurre Rouge, Beurre Rousse, Beurre Roux, Beurre Vert, Brown Beurre, Brown Butter, Eisenbart, Gisambert, Golden Beurre, Gray Beurre, Gray Butter, Green Butter, Grey Beurre, Gris, Isambert, Isambert le Bon, Isambert of Normandy, La Beurre, Poire d'Amboise, Red Beurre, Red Butter, Rouge, True Golden Beurre. -- W.H.Ragan, Nomenclature of the Pear, 1908.
Brown Beurre. (of various French gardens: Beurre Gris, Beurre Rouge, Beurre d'or, Beurre Doree, Beurre d'Amboise, Beurre d'Ambleuse, Beurre du Roi, Poire d'Amboise, Isambert, Isambert le Bon). The Brown Beurre, almost too well known to need description, was for a long time, considered the prince of pears in France, its native country, and for those who are partial to the high vinous flavour - a rich mingling of sweet and acid - it has still, few competitors. It is, however, quite variable in different soils, and its variety of appearance in different gardens, has given rise to the many names, gray, brown, red and golden, under which it is known. Kenrick calls it 'an outcast', but, our readers will pardon our dissent from this opinion, while we have the fact in mind, of its general excellence in this region; and especially that of a noble tree, now in view from the library where we write, which is in luxuriant vigour, and gives us, annually, from five to eight bushels of superb fruit. The truth is, this pear is rather tender for New England, and requires a warm climate and strong soil. Shoots diverging, dark brown. Fruit large, oblong-obovate, tapering convexly quite to the stalk. Skin slightly rough, yellowish-green, but nearly covered with thin russet, often a little reddish brown on one side. Stalk from one to one a half inches long, stout at its junction with the tree, and thickening obliquely into the fruit Calyx nearly closed in a shallow basin. Flesh greenish white, melting, buttery, extremely juicy, with a rich sub-acid flavour. September. -- A.J. Downing, The fruits and fruit trees of America, 1846.
Beurree Grise or Brown Beurree. Is a large juicy pear, and in some seasons has a fine flavored flesh of great sprightliness - it is of very varying excellence - it is too often acid in the extreme with little flavor; its character changes with the season - when the year is unfavourable the fruit cracks, and the trees lose all their leaves prematurely; when in perfection it is a fine plump fruit, of almost elliptical form, very little diminished towards the stem - resembling the Beuree in shape; the skin is green with clouds of black, the flesh white - it ripens in September, and lasts a long time in favourable seasons. -- W. Coxe, A view of the cultivation of fruit trees, 1817.